October 31, 2013

Wishing
you a happy and magical day of fun, frolic, revelry and merrymaking…with just a
touch of the macabre!

I found
Balthazar seated in his comfy chair last night, writing something secret.He wouldn’t let me see what he was composing,
but I can only assume that it might be horror-related (judging by the open book
of Poe’s
Poetical Works and the skull he was seeking inspiration from).I am guessing that we can expect some more
Balthazar-esque poetry soon – or some kind of messed-up memoir…either way, we
should all be worried!

October 26, 2013

The
time is almost nigh – so I thought I would share another one of my original,
darkly-humorous poems to get you in the Halloween spirit.As usual, it was written (actually, this
morning!) with my creepy-cute little teddy bear, Balthazar, in mind.Here he goes again, quietly terrorizing yet
another poor defenseless Victorian child…perhaps I need a bit of counseling!

October 23, 2013

So,
there has been an exciting little rumor buzzing all around movie land and the
Internet…and if it is true, I will be the happiest girl in the world!For those who haven’t heard, supposedly,
(fingers crossed!) there is talk of a second Beetlejuice movie in the
works.And, yes, it looks like Michael
Keaton will be reprising his role as Beetlejuice!!!The only drawback – it is not certain if Tim
Burton will come back to direct the second film – What?????This can’t be true!!!

If it
is true, and Tim Burton decides not to direct, I pray to God above that whoever
takes charge will keep the adult humor and the dark quirkiness that Tim Burton
so wonderfully-established in the first film.I am begging you, Do Not Make This Into A Kid-Friendly Cutesy-Type
Film!It just won’t work!

Just in
case the writers might be stuck on what to write about or which direction to
take, I am here to help.Here is my
brilliant idea for part 2:

The movie starts out,
years later, same house – except now, Lydia, her husband, and their two teenage
children, live there.Lydia’s dad and
stepmom moved away years ago, leaving her the house.Though Lydia is now married, she still
remains the Goth character that we remember from the first film.To add a little dramatic flair, let’s make
her husband more of a hipster-type skeptic.Their two teenage kids (a boy and a girl), are outcasts and misfits, and
take more after their mother; with interests in the paranormal and the
macabre.I must point out that Lydia’s
ghost couple pals, Adam and Barbara Maitland come around occasionally, but they
no longer inhabit the house.Instead,
they are busy “traveling the world.”

The drama begins one
rainy afternoon, when the bored teenagers decide to go snooping around in the
old attic.You see, Lydia and her
husband went away for the weekend.They
find a box of their mom’s old stuff…including a diary that chronicles all of
the events that occurred in the first film.So…being full of curiosity about their mom’s interaction with the
paranormal, they break out the old Ouija board (when will people ever learn?) and
attempt to contact the spirits of the Maitlands, with no luck.Just when they feel as if their attempts were
pointless, a portal is opened, and Beetlejuice,
who has been waiting to find a way to get back to Lydia, is released.But he is not alone – a few other nasty
ghouls and one crazy poltergeist also come through.

Now it wouldn’t be a
modern-day Tim Burton film without the likes of Johnny Depp!So let’s make him the crazy poltergeist
character- real dark and creepy, but funny as hell, and oh-so-sexy!So he comes through the portal, and
immediately forms an attachment to the house, and later, to the girl.At first, Beetlejuice is fine with Depp’s character hanging around, he even
takes him under his wing to teach him the ways of the “bio-exorcist” and
supernatural troublemaker, but Beetlejuice
soon gets enraged, as he is extremely territorial, and doesn’t want any other
entities crouching on his space.He
especially thinks he still has a shot with Lydia after all these years.Beetlejuice
sends the young poltergeist packing, but there’s only one problem – Depp’s
character just won’t leave!And he is
much younger and stronger than his older counterpart.

Lydia and her husband
return home to find that there is a battle of ghoulish wits being waged, and
that their children have not only brought back Beetlejuice, but they have opened a portal.Lydia’s husband doesn’t remain a skeptic for
very long!Comedy ensues.A battle of wits and haunts to free the
household from Depp’s character and to banish the bothersome Beetlejuice once and for all to get him
to attach himself to another location, begins.Bring in Geena Davis and Alec Baldwin as the Maitlands, who are summoned
to help, and, voila!A dark and hilarious
paranormal romp!

October 19, 2013

Wow, it has been too long!I do apologize for the recent lack of posts –
the past three weeks have been extremely busy; leaving me with very little time
to write.It always feels so strange
when I don’t write or post anything – writing is definitely one of my passions –
has always been.Hopefully I will be
able to resume writing 1- 2 weekly posts from here on, with no
interruptions.

Since Halloween is fast approaching, I thought I would
start this brand-new post with an original piece that I wrote last month.I have a teddy bear named Balthazar.He is a cute, little lovable bear that has
been with me pretty-much since the day I was born (that’s 31 years…yikes!I wonder how old that is in teddy bear
years?)He is well-loved, as you can see
from the photos – his fur is a bit scruffy, his nose is crooked, and his mouth
is missing (been that way for years now…I couldn’t tell you what happened to
it), but, I still think he is as cute as a button!

﻿

Sinister? No way...just look at that little face!

Despite his presence in my life and my world, my husband
and I feel as if he might have been around for much longer than a mere 31
years.I’ll explain…for some strange
reason, Balthazar seems to creep the crap out of people!I don’t see it (OK, yes I do), but my
husband, friends and family all claim that there is something sinister about
him.Sinister?Hardly!Strange?Maybe.I will say one thing…don’t let the cute
innocent exterior fool you!Balthazar is
a prankster with a very dark sense of humor.We will often find him wielding knives/swords from our collection over
some of the other stuffed animals, while shouting, “There can be only one!” in
that little timid voice of his.Perhaps
he is just looking to practice his fencing skills.He often appears in random places…one moment
he’ll be sitting on the bed...moments later, I’ll find him peeking in the
doorway of our TV room.If you fall
asleep on the sofa, you might just wake up to find the little bear peering over
you, quietly observing…disturbingly quiet!

Of course he isn’t this old, but my husband and I can’t
help but imagine this little creature creeping out the children of the
Victorian era.I can just imagine this
small, quiet little bear with no mouth, sitting on a chair in a child’s nursery
or playroom – watching and waiting.I
imagine a very dark and sinister sort of teddy bear.Although he says nothing and “does nothing”,
all of the children who are unfortunate enough to possess him end up dying
mysterious deaths or suffer the strangest injuries.I imagine Balthazar as having a very curious
story to tell…that is, if he could talk (no, of course he can’t talk…that-would-just-be
crazy?!!!)

My first passion has always been poetry. I have been writing original poetry for about twenty years now.So far, I have been published twice – once in a small anthology when I was in middle school, and again in high school.

Recently, I was inspired to write a series of macabre,
yet strangely funny, poems based on poor unsuspecting Victorian children, who
meet their demise at the hands of Mr. Balthazar.I know it sounds horrible, but believe me,
they are quite humorous and entertaining – great fun for the whole family to
read and enjoy!To get you in the
Halloween spirit, I thought I would share one of these poems with you. Let me know what
you think of the poem – I have written a few more like this that I might be
inclined to share in future posts.I am
currently working on a small book of macabre, yet fun, poems in this
style.Of course, each poem will be
illustrated for the full effect – but until then, you will just have to use
your imagination!

September 21, 2013

It has
once again been a busy week!I should be
sleeping, but I am just now getting a chance to sit down and relax, and I
figured that I would take the time to write at least one new post for the
week.It has been a week of various
projects, and a few sleepless nights, but it has been fun!I have especially enjoyed working on one
project in particular – my jewelry business, Designs by EHL.I finally had the chance to focus a bit more
on my Earth, Mother, Goddess Collection,
but I also decided to revisit one of my older collections; and for a good
reason!

I took
a look at the calendar yesterday, and realized that (a) the weekend is nigh,
and (b) it is almost October!Seriously,
where has the time gone?Where has
September gone?I swear, it was just
September 1st about a week ago!Oh well, ’tis not a bad thing…COME ON OCTOBER!!!And come on cooler weather (I live in Texas)!

Fall is
my favorite season of the year, and October is one of my favorite months.This October, so much will be going on:Season 7 of The Big Bang Theory will
return to TV on September 26th (well, it’s almost October), the
Dallas Comic-Con:Fan Days will take
place October 4-6, Season 4 of The Walking Dead will return to TV
on October 13th, my husband’s birthday is later on in the month (I’m
thinking a Farscape-themed birthday celebration), and then, there is
Halloween!So excited!!!I am especially excited for Halloween (October
31st) for two reasons: (1) it’s
Halloween!, (2) it is also my wedding anniversary (4 years this year!)As you can see, it should be a month
jam-packed with fun and exciting events and things to see and do.

Since
Halloween is just around the corner, I want to re-introduce one of my jewelry
collections that I feel is simply perfect for the Season.It is a small collection of skull-themed
jewelry pieces, called Dia de Los
Adorables.Skulls????What???Yes indeed!I like to describe
this collection as a mix of the Day of the Dead, Goth, Victorian/Steampunk, the
macabre, gorgeousness and elegance.

Now I
know what some of you might be thinking, “Skulls?How can that be elegant, or anything else but
dark and creepy?”Well, to answer
your hypothetical question, I will have to show you.Trust me, the pieces speak for
themselves.Skulls can truly be a thing
of beauty and shouldn’t be considered scary – I mean, everybody has one.Yes skulls also serve as small reminders of
our mortality, but not just in terms of death and graveyards.And yeah, they can be a bit on the macabre
and creepy side, which I feel, strangely lends a sense of elegance and
timelessness to this collection.But
hey, see for yourself…I have included a few photos below.Take a look, and let me know what you think!

I just
added these new/old pieces to my online Etsy.com store a few hours ago, so you are
the first to get a sneak peek right here on my blog!If you like what you see and would like more
detailed images and information on each piece, and to view the full Dia de Los Adorables Collection, be sure
to click on the link to visit my Etsy.com store at http://www.etsy.com/shop/DesignsbyEHL.

Now let’s
get ready for Halloween - the pieces from this collection make great and unique
gifts!But don’t stop there – they can also
be worn year-‘round if you are anything like me and love to wear unique statement
pieces.

I will
return next week with brand new ramblings and brand new posts, so stay
tuned!Wishing you a safe and happy
weekend!

September 12, 2013

Okay,
okay…I know it’s a bit late to post my reaction to the announcement that Ben
Affleck has been cast as the new Batman/Bruce Wayne in the upcoming Batman
Vs. Superman film, but, hey…who am I to follow the norm?The true reason for my delayed reaction –
SHOCK!!!I am not going to lie – as a
super hero enthusiast and Batman fanatic, I was saddened to hear that (a) Christian
Bale was not going to reprise his role as Batman/Bruce Wayne, and (b) Ben
Affleck had been chosen.

My
reaction…NOOOOO!

I have
yet to see Argo, but I do remember Daredevil, and to be honest, I was
not impressed…at all!I don’t think that
Ben Affleck has what it takes to don the mantle of The Batman; maybe (and I
mean, maybe) he could pass as Bruce Wayne because of the dark hair and
appearance, but his acting range would have to broaden greatly and quickly in
order to encompass the duality of my beloved Batman.

Now we
could all be proven wrong when the movie debuts…who knows?Stranger things have happened.Affleck might blow us all away with his
version of The Batman.Obviously, when
he auditioned for the role, the studio saw something of quality in his
performance that made him fit (in their eyes) to be cast.So, I guess we will just have to wait until
2015 to either be pleasantly-surprised, or extremely disappointed.But until then, I can always dream of a
different Batman…of my choice for Batman.And that, Dear Reader, is why it has taken me awhile to respond to this
matter – I had to thoroughly ponder which actor would make a qualified
candidate.And I have come up with the
perfect solution – Nicolas Cage!!!

Now,
before you take to the comment section to blast my decision, I ask you to first
read on to understand why.Other than my
slight, harmless obsession with Nicolas Cage, I took a look back at some of his
films.Ghost Rider – awesome!Kick-Ass – excellent!Knowing– (one of my favorite Cage
films) he played the crap out of that role.Shall I go on?Let’s see, there’s
also Valley
Girl, Leaving Las Vegas, Face/Off, City of Angels, National
Treasure (see, he can do adventure), Adaptation, and, The
Sorcerer’s Apprentice.I could
go on, but I listed these films to showcase his role versatility.Whether you love Nicolas Cage or hate him,
his impressive acting skills and believable characters tend to stick with you
because he gives each role/character 150%, and, well, it is just so darn entertaining
to watch him on screen!

Who
better to play Gotham City’s sort of eccentric and well-respected socialite
billionaire, than a real-life eccentric.We all know that Mr. Cage is quite the eccentric gentleman – with his
fondness for exotic pets and real estate purchases; he once even owned a
castle!It is also noted that he is a
fan of comic books, and even auctioned off a large collection of his vintage
comic books.See, he has an advantage!One who has great respect for comic books
will have a great respect for the comic book character he or she portrays
onscreen, don’t you think?

I could
see Mr. Cage playing an older Bruce Wayne, eccentric, wealthy and
impeccably-dressed.Come on – it would
be worth it to just to see him interact with Alfred, as long as Michael Caine
reprises this role (I know there would be plenty of witty banter).As Batman, he would be kicking ass and taking
names.And he would look awesome in the Bat
suit.He would definitely make Superman
seem inferior…yeah, because Nicolas Cage does that!If we’re lucky, maybe the studios will
reconsider and let him go up against Superman; or, at least let him play Batman
in the upcoming Justice League movie (fingers crossed)!

Well,
you’ve heard my suggestion for the next Batman…I’d like to hear yours – send me
a comment or two…don’t be shy!

About Me

I chose to use a character name from my upcoming Science Fiction series. Although I am the real brains (and beauty) behind these intellectually-stimulating masterpieces, I have chosen to keep my true identity well hidden...for now! Plus, Trijan Maddux sounds much more awesome!

So let me introduce the character of Trijan Maddux to you. She is a woman from the future, born in the year 4AT(After Terra), has a degree in Interstellar Archaeology, just turned 30, and has traveled recently to a few distant solar systems to study the ruins of some very ancient civilizations. She is an adventurer, and believe me, there is never a dull moment!

Now...a little about myself...I, too, am a space adventurer (I travel from one side of my padded cell to the other constantly). I am a thirty-something African-American female with a degree in Art History, and I love, love, love all things geeky...and all things Gothic and Victorian. A born Trekkie (yay, Original Series!), gamer, comic book collector, convention goer, and Science Fiction fanatic...the nerdier, the better! I truly live in a fantasy world (just ask some of my imaginary friends!)